Tag Archives: Crown Publishing Group

In anticipation of the release of the Gone Girl movie I made sure to put the novel in my September TBR list to ensure that I read it before the release of the movie (check out the review I did for Gone Girl here) . Having done that I was able to see the thriller the night it was released – far enough away from when I finished the book to not be annoyed, but still close enough that I remembered most – if not all – details of the plot.

My thoughts? Well, I think I may have actually enjoyed the movie more if I hadn’t read the book first and I sort of wish I hadn’t. Shocking, I know.

One of the things that this story thrives on is the twists and turns, and since I read the book what was lost for me was that experience of surprise the rest of the theatre felt. It was the one time knowing too much hindered my enjoyment.

Don’t get me wrong, the movie was good – a very good adaptation; I just felt a bit left out. I should say this though – waiting for the crowd’s reaction to everything was great. The number gasps the lady let out next to me was amazing and hilarious.

The film was beautifully shot – in typical David Fincher fashion – and stayed pretty close to the novel, only small changes, though that is probably because Gillian Flynn actually wrote the screenplay. Much like with Perks of Being a Wallflower, having the author writing the screenplay definitely pays off; it’s one of the reasons why I have so much hope in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movies JK Rowling is working on.

It was a good movie. Other than me losing the surprise appeal of the plot, the only thing I really didn’t appreciate was them making Nick Dunne more likeable. In the books you hate Nick; you actually think that killing Amy is something he can and would do. They made Nick more likeable and they didn’t make Amy nearly as believable as she was in the book. Mind you, this is coming from me who read the book – I’m not sure what people who didn’t read it thought.

While I did have a few issues here and there, I found the overall film to be enjoyable. It’s a good movie for an older crowd (there is nudity) of both genders. Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike gave amazing and chilling performances. So whether or not you have read the book I definitely recommend this psychological thriller.

Adaptation Score: B+/A-. Great adaptation, but I think I would have enjoyed it just a little bit more if I hadn’t read the book.